Conventional magnetic recording disk drives include a slider attached to a suspension and a media such as a disk. The slider typically includes a magnetic read transducer (reader) and a magnetic write transducer (writer). The writer magnetically records data as bits along a tracks in the media. The reader reads data back from the media.
The trend in magnetic recording is to higher areal densities. For example, densities of 1 Tbit/in2 and higher are desired. To read, write and store data at such areal densities, the reader, writer, and media have evolved. For example, tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) sensors may be used to read higher density media with sufficiently high signals and heat assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) writers may utilize laser light to heat regions of the media to temperatures near and/or above the Curie temperature of the media. This allows the writer to magnetically record data to the media at lower magnetic fields. Similarly, magnetic media have been developed to store data at higher areal densities.
Although such conventional magnetic recording disk drives function, there are drawbacks. For example, for areal densities of 1 Tbit/in2, an average grain size for a bit may be desired to be less than six nanometers. Media having the desired grain size, thermal stability and other magnetic properties are thus desired. Accordingly, what is needed is a system and method for improving the performance of a magnetic recording disk drive at higher areal densities.